Reynolds made first President
- When
- 10 December 1768
- Where
- London, seat of the newly founded Royal Academy
Joshua Reynolds became the Royal Academy's first president, with Francis Milner Newton elected first secretary, serving until his 1788 resignation.
The painter Joshua Reynolds was made the Royal Academy's first president at its founding. Francis Milner Newton was elected the first secretary, a post he held for two decades until his resignation in 1788. Reynolds's leadership extended to the Academy's educational mission: led by Reynolds, the first lecture programme included a lecture by William Hunter, part of Britain's first public lectures on art.
Sources
- Royal Academy of Arts Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-18
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